A Thousand Paper Cranes 千羽鶴
by katsuraaagi
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Working on editing it and sorting everything out. I'll repost it under another name eventually. SORRY! "They say that if you fold one thousand origami cranes you'll be granted one wish. Chizuru wished for life. SI OC-centric AU"
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: They say that if you fold one thousand origami cranes you'll be granted one wish. Chizuru wished for life. SI OC-centric AU.

**AN**: Second attempt at a story. I deleted the first one (sorry to anyone who wanted to continue reading it), and I'm hoping that this one will be less rushed. I'm still practicing writing so it's definitely not going to be perfect, but I hope it's good anyway!

This is an AU. A lot of it will go along with the storyline, but things will definitely be changed. Slowly, or suddenly, don't look to your knowledge of the manga (and especially not your knowledge of the anime) to predict what might happen. I'm not all that informed on either. I ended up skipping a lot of chapters and haven't seen past the first episodes of Naruto, so this'll be my version of things. So, if I make a character OOC or skip things that you might like a whole lot, don't send me hate for it. I'll appreciate you correcting me and offering constructive criticism so that I can edit things, or add an extra chapter just for you, but that's it.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Naruto, nor do I have anything to do with its creation. This is just written for my entertainment and yours.

**(1)** The song is called Takeda No Komoriuta

* * *

**"Poverty's child-**

**he starts to grind the rice,**

**and gazes at the moon."**

**- Matsuo Bashō**

**01.**

There was the sound of passing cars and the smell of the Chinese place next door. Sirens, loud and panicked, all through the night. She could feel the harsh concrete of her front steps, dirt dragged in from shoes digging into her un-callused hands. The breeze on her skin, from the fan hanging over the bed she shared with her boyfriend and dog. She could hear barking and children laughing; cursing from stepping on toys in the middle of the night and 'Mommy, I'm scared.' There was the sound of someone singing in the shower at three in the morning. There was the sound of a heart monitor flatlining and the voice, that warm voice, that called out-

'_Baby, wake up_.'

Chizuru opened her eyes.

She was in a woman's arms, rocked slowly back and forth- monotonously, comfortingly. The woman, a brunette, Chizuru noted, was singing in a low, cracking voice, "_Mori mo iyagaru Bonkara saki nya. Yuki mo chiratsuku shi Komo naku shi._" **(1)** At the time, she couldn't understand the words, but found comfort in the slow, sad tune.

Being like this, so helpless in another's arms while they sang, made her think of her own children and wondered what they were doing. They were teenagers when she died, both whirlwinds in their home and so very angry at their mom's sickness. Even though they never voiced it to her, Chizuru could read her kids like a book, but she never confronted them about it. Maybe she was scared that they blamed her. Maybe she didn't want to die feeling like her family was _broken_.

Her eldest, Michelle, loved reading and learning about different cultures. It was where they got the idea to start making origami cranes, hanging them all around her hospital room after getting permission from Chizuru's doctor. After making exactly one thousand cranes, she closed her eyes and made a wish. It was silly, wishing for something that even medical professionals could not give her, but she couldn't help but hold onto the hope that maybe this would help her live. Either way, it gave her a lot of time with her children, and she enjoyed every second of it.

James was sixteen and couldn't fold anything to save his life, but he tried with them anyway. She cried sometimes after they left because of how hard they were trying. They couldn't do anything medically, and they weren't really raised to believe in anything other than science, but… There was hope.

Chizuru wished for life.

Maybe, when wishing, she should have been more specific about which life she wished to live. It just didn't register that, by wishing for life, she wouldn't be wishing on completing her own. She would never see James graduate high school, or her daughter finish cosmetology and become an amazing hairstylist. Her best friend would be getting married again in March. Chizuru's husband was only just finishing his new book and he was preparing to send it in. James was going to try out for the football team.

Their entire futures. Possible grandchildren, something she wanted oh-so-badly. She'd never meet Michelle's first love, or watch James mature (though, Kami, she loved the kid no matter how irresponsible he was.) More than anything, she missed them and would never truly get over their loss. She couldn't help but wonder if this was how they were feeling in another part of the world.

The woman finished her song and smiled down at her daughter with dry, cracking lips. When so close to the other, Chizuru could make out her soft brown eyes and fair skin. Her nose was crooked and a bit large, but she was _beautiful_ in that way that only mothers could be. And, even if she longed for the independence she'd grown used to over the years, Chizuru appreciated the woman- her mother- anyway. It was hard not to appreciate someone giving their lives so selflessly to a child, because all she could do at the time was take.

When her mother offered a finger, Chizuru reached up and grasped it as tightly as her new muscles would allow. "_I love you_."

Chizuru blinked in thanks. She still couldn't bring herself to smile.

* * *

Hanako's arms were submerged in the soapy water, working furiously at the stains in their clothes. Her brown hair was in a loose bun at the nape of her neck, allowing only a few strands of hair to hang in front of her tanning face. She was aging quickly, but that was normal in a small village like their own. They didn't live in or near a merchant village, so the work that came with everyday living was stressful, especially during the harsher seasons when the crops wouldn't grow and they'd have to travel far for food. Since Hanako was a single mother, all of the workload fell on her shoulders- as well as taking care of a three year old Chizuru.

Basically, Hanako was superwoman, and if Chizuru had to do everything that woman did as well as take care of children, she would've broken a whole lot faster. It was why she helped with what her limited body allowed her to help with. Cooking was out of the question, but planting seeds as well as harvesting them was simple enough.

The black eyed child wiped her filthy hands on her dark brown pants, uncaring of the stains or the lingering feeling of dirt on her skin. It was something she'd long since been used to. After putting herself to work, she was almost constantly dirty and the skin that was once so pale quickly tanned from the many hours spent in the sun. She could remember almost desperately slathering her skin in sunscreen in another life, as well as griping at her children to do so constantly. Having no protection made the previous esthetician nervous, since the motto ever since she started school was "The sun is your enemy".

Chizuru couldn't complain, though. It was nice, if not extremely hard and somewhat stressful. She could tell that she didn't have skin cancer, nor did her mom, and that was enough to keep the child from hiding beneath her covers until the sun set.

The elder of the two brunettes smiled softly when she finished and pushed herself up to go hang the damp clothes to dry. Chizuru followed, though she wasn't tall enough to reach the wire, but she could still be of some use. It was better to keep herself busy than to sit and think about all that she lost- or left behind. Was this truly death? It was saddening to think that her children would someday be just as alone as she was, probably loving another family and trying to move on just as she was.

A sharp jab of a finger on her nose brought Chizuru out of her thoughts. "Stop looking so pouty, Zuru-chan!" Her mother laughed. "It's a beautiful day, is it not?"

In remembrance of bleach blonde hair, pale skin and the ability to stay inside the entire day, Chizuru pouted. "It's hot," She deadpanned.

Hanako laughed again. It was so _light_ and happy and wonderful. Her three year old voice didn't do much for the seriousness of the situation, and honestly it sounded kind of funny coming from a child, so she couldn't blame her mother for being so bright. "That it is," The brunette agreed. "But at least it's not cold."

With the cold came disease. Medicine in their part of the world wasn't advanced at all. There were hospitals, of course, but too far away for anyone in their village to make it. The doctor, an elderly woman by the name of Sayako, wasn't as knowledgeable as Chizuru thought a doctor should be. The child was biased, of course, after being spoiled with all sorts of different pills her entire life, but still. If she had known she would be reborn, Chizuru would have spent more time studying medicine and other things that she might need in this new life. Skin care could only get a person so far without the proper tools to care for it.

"Mom?" Chizuru asked, lifting up one of her own shirts before handing it to Hanako. "What's it like out there?"

Hanako pursed her lips while she thought of a nicer way to say things. "Well," she began, "there are lots of people."

Chizuru laughed out, "Mom!"

The brunette lifted her hands amiably. "Maa, can't blame a woman for not being too creative, can you?" Hanako sighed and continued her work. They only had sheets left to hang, so she wouldn't have to do this much longer. That meant they could get started on gathering food for lunch and dinner, as well as take a much needed break. Though it was nice that it wasn't winter, the heat was still rather unpleasant for people who were constantly moving and lacked water. The mood quickly fell when Hanako sighed and told her child, "They're always fighting out there."

"What for?" She asked, staring up at her mom with curious, identical brown eyes. In another life, war was common and she felt that a small country like the one she lived in (though she didn't exactly know which one it was) would be annihilated if they were ever attacked. Chizuru wouldn't allow herself to think of what would happen if her village was brought into the war. There were no fighters there, but enough crops to feed the hungry as well as housing. Wherever they were, they didn't respect women nearly as much as Americans were beginning to. There was no freedom. If they were attacked, her mother would be… Used. And Chizuru would be dead.

The world was ruthless like that.

"I don't know," Hanako admitted. "Power, maybe. That's all those people really seem to care about."

Chizuru frowned. "Who are they?"

Hanako shrugged and finished hanging the blankets, only to pick up one the straw baskets at their feet. Chizuru moved to do the same. "They're men," The woman laughed, as if that explained everything. "Powerful men. Shinobi, they call themselves."

The word was unfamiliar to her. Though she was three and fairly smart for her age, after obsessively trying to pick up the language in order to communicate, there were still many things she couldn't understand. Her mother wasn't a scholar and Chizuru assumed that the woman couldn't read (there were no books in the house, nor were there any writing utensils), so there wasn't much more that she could learn. "What's shinobi?"

"Ah," Hanako smiled again. "They're fighters. Your father was one, and he could do these amazing things," She breathed, seemingly lost in her own world. "I saw him walk on water once, you know. I never thought that was possible until he showed me. They can breathe fire and make water out of thin air, and attack with the wind. They're always fast and I'd say they're all show-offs. Your father was one of the biggest. He'd try so hard to impress me." The woman laughed and shook her head. "They use chakra, he told me. It comes from here." Hanako turned from their walking to bend down and press her finger right into Chizuru's belly, under her navel.

Chizuru frowned and placed her hand on her stomach, trying to feel whatever her mom was talking about. It was discomforting to know that there had been something unfamiliar inside of her the entire time she was in that world, but she wouldn't let it bother her for long. If it hadn't killed her, then it would be alright. "No way," Chizuru challenged.

"Yes way." Hanako walked into the small paddy field and began yanking up some plants. Chizuru went towards the tomatoes, so her mother had to talk loudly in order to reply. "Do you really think I would lie to you, Zuru-chan?"

_No_, but she would make up stories to tell her possibly imaginative daughter. The child sighed. "Maybe?"

All that she heard in reply was a soft laugh.

Later that night, after dinner and a bath, Hanako's arms were wrapped around her daughter. Fingers lightly threaded through wet brown hair to brush it while it dried and keep it slightly straight. The woman was humming that same lullaby she sang when Chizuru was still a baby. It might've been the only one she knew, and now that Chizuru understood the words it made her sad to think of it.

"What happened to my dad?" Chizuru finally asked, trying to remember a time when her father was around. There wasn't one. It seemed like he might've died while her mother was still pregnant. Thinking of her mother alone and trying to live in such a world made her sad, if not a little guilty because she had forty years of pampering before being shoved in this life. And, though the memories were bundled and getting hazier by the day, she could still remember what it felt like. She could still remember her own children, as well as her boyfriend that she never got around to marrying. Those were the important things that she would certainly never forget. She missed them too much.

The woman hesitated and stopped running her fingers through Chizuru's thick locks. "War," Hanako answered. "They're always fighting out there, you know."

Chizuru closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around a slender neck. Her mother's collarbones dug into Chizuru's armpits, but she ignored the slight pain and continued to hug her anyway. "Love you, momma." When her children were this age, it was how they somehow managed to make everything brighter; as if they knew that the world was bad and it weighed down on everyone.

Hanako kissed the top of Chizuru's head. "Love you too, Zuru-chan. Go to sleep."

The child hummed in reply before allowing exhaustion to take over. It was nicer to sleep in someone's arms than sleep on the hard mat laying in the corner of their small home.

* * *

It rained the next day. There was no sign that they would have bad weather, though everyone was thankful that the lands were beginning to moisten without them having to do all the work. Rain made their job easier, especially because without rain the soil would dry and their crops would die. If there was a drought there was a good chance people would starve. So, though they had nothing to do except stay inside and place boxes under the leaks in their roof, Chizuru was thankful for the gray skies.

Chizuru took that time to study her hands.

After being reborn, Chizuru noticed that her body was more durable. The blisters that she originally had when working didn't hurt nearly as much as they would have if she was still the mother; the esthetician who would be appalled at the calluses and roughness of a child's skin. There were scars where the blisters were bad and she could remember the sting of the antiseptic that the doctor brought over. Chizuru didn't know what it was, but it did fight off the infection as well as keep them from being infected again. _Unclean_, but there was no room for germaphobes in such a situation.

Then she thought of shinobis and wondered if they could really do such magical things or if her mother was exaggerating the soldiers. The fire breathing could simply be guns, or bombs, but she couldn't even imagine someone who would be able to walk on water. Religion wasn't a big thing with her mother, so she was sure that the woman had never heard of such a thing before a man told her he could do it.

The child placed her rough hand on her stomach again, this time slowly lifting the shirt to inspect the area below her navel. She felt nothing. For an entire hour, she kept her eyes shut tight while she focused on trying to get a feel for whatever her mother was talking about. Though she didn't believe it, she was still curious. It reminded her of the time when she pressed her hands against the wall in her childhood home, hoping to phase through it like some superhero.

Then she _felt it_. Chizuru was so surprised that she toppled over, staring wide eyed at her stomach. She let out a very English-"Shit!"- before pushing herself away, as if it would disconnect her from the offending body part. Hanako jumped up as well, quickly getting on her knees beside her daughter to see what was wrong. When the woman found no wounds, or anything that might kill her, she sighed in relief, "What happened?"

"_I_-" Three years and Chizuru was still correcting things to English. Quickly, she made up for her mistake and spoke in her supposed-to-be native language. "I felt it."

Hanako's eyebrows pressed together, enhancing the rough and wrinkled skin. "Felt what, Zuru-chan?"

Instead of answering, Chizuru focused again and felt that same heat in her stomach. It was_ life_. There was no other way to describe it, other than that it felt like breathing deeply, comfortably. The entire world was so might brighter and better and _slower_. If she wasn't feeling sort of high off of finding life within herself, she would've had a panic attack at the sudden rush of emotions and the newness of it all. "Chakra," She finally said. "I think it's chakra."

If something like that existed the entire time she was alive, why hadn't she tried focusing on it before? Was that all it needed to form? If so, why wasn't her mother trying as well? Chizuru smiled, a little giddy. "Why is it there?"

Hanako was shocked, staring wide-eyed at her daughter as if she had grown a new head. Maybe she had. There was no telling what this chakra would do to her body, and now that she was finally coming down off the high she realized that maybe she was a bit foolish in trying to feel for it. Then again, she didn't know that it would react like that. She was only trying to feel it, to prove its existence so she could prove that her mother wasn't just telling her tall tales and the world really _could_ be magic. The mother quickly recovered and gathered her child in her arms, holding on as tight as she could. "Everyone has it," She began. "Not everyone can use it, though. What does it feel like?"

Chizuru shook her head while she thought, childishly puffing out her cheeks. "I don't know," She answered truthfully. "It's just there." Brown eyes scanned the room in wonder. Nothing was different, but she could feel the small vibrations beneath her feet- she could feel the hum of her mother's blood pumping beneath her. Nothing was different except for her. "I feel _everything_."

It was overwhelming when she tried to take it all in, though. Her stomach turned and she wanted to throw up, so in order to fight the sickness off she focused on one thing: her mother. "I feel everything," She repeated dazedly.

Hanako only rubbed her child's back while they sat there.

* * *

Aito laughed as she jumped around in the river. A five-year-old Chizuru was beside her, pants-legs rolled up to reveal skinny legs and scraped knees. They were there to play under the guise of catching fish, but doing so was more like a game than anything. They would have to chase small groups of fish into their home-made nets to bring back to their homes. Aito only joined Chizuru because, during the past year, they'd been friends.

Chizuru didn't think that she would be able to speak with anyone younger than her mother, but she found comfort in the blonde.

Aito was a small girl with missing teeth and splotchy red cheeks, as well as unevenly chopped hair. It was so light that people could see the mud from spending too long outside and having little time to bathe. They were both considered ugly children, with Chizuru's neverending mess of spikes, rough skin, and the large bags under her eyes. That was probably why they made friends with each other quicker than the others, who mostly avoided the poorer children because of their overall look. Even in villages such as this one people still judged.

Chizuru wouldn't admit that she used to be like them, and would've been worried had she seen children like Aito and herself hanging around her own. They probably wouldn't have been able to hang out outside of school- but there was no school in their village. There was an elderly woman who taught a few interested children how to read and write, but Aito and Chizuru never went- though the brunette wanted so badly to learn. There was no time, and what use would those skills be to her? She wouldn't get a good-paying job with reading, she knew.

"Aito-chan!" Chizuru called out, pointing towards a patch of darker water that they knew would have hidden fish. The children pounced from behind, hoping to scare them straight into their trap.

The blonde pumped her fist in the air and shouted, "Yatta!" while Chizuru laughed. The two of them quickly tied their knots and gathered their share of fish. Chizuru only needed four, since she was only looking after herself and her mother, but Aito had six other siblings. It only seemed fair that the tiny blonde got the majority of the share.

"Chi-chan!" Aito yelled, grabbing her friends wrist to heave them both out of the water. Chizuru was the stronger one, as well as one year older than Aito, but she still allowed her to drag her around. Chizuru knew that, while she was mentally older, she was still in a child's body and developing almost just like every other. The need for friends, attention, and_ fun_ was proof enough. Mentally, she was 45 and felt sort of like a vampire that ages. She wondered what Edward felt like when he fell in love with a teenage girl. Michelle was so in love with the series until the movies came out and talked almost endlessly about it. Would she feel like a pedophile if she found love?

It was doubtful that she ever would, if she was honest with herself. Chizuru was looking to lead a simple life, just as her mother had, and none of the boys in the village would appeal to her. Eventually, she would force herself to settle, but it wouldn't be for love. In a world like their own Chizuru doubted she was strong enough to live by herself, even if she could feel chakra.

That particular skill remained underdeveloped. Walking on water, as her mother said her father could do, was insanely difficult and just as impossible as it would be if she didn't have it coursing through her veins. She figured that there was some sort of trick to it, but didn't know just what it was. And, unless a kind shinobi came to the village, she never would.

Aito pulled Chizuru to the shop that her parents ran. It was connected to their home, something shaped like her own except larger. They needed the extra space for Aito's four brothers and two sisters, especially since three of them were 14-16 and already considered adults and the others were nearing the age. Aito was the youngest of the bunch as well as the rowdiest, so they always sent her to do the tiresome chores. "Tadaima!" She called, announcing their entrance to the large family.

"Okaeri," An older woman greeted, welcoming them back. Machi was a tall woman with obviously brittle bones and always-dirty fingernails. Aito took after her the most, though their hair color was obviously different. While Machi had chestnut colored hair, Aito had the straw-blonde locks of her father. Her pale blue eyes, so similar to Aito's, landed on the fish in their hands and brightened.

In another life, it would've made Chizuru sad to see someone so happy to see food. In this one, however, the happiness was simply contagious because she _understood_, if only a little. Proudly, Aito held up the bag for all to see. The customers looking at the wooden carvings in the shop stole a glance, smiled, and shook their heads. "Look what Chi-chan and I caught, momma!"

"Oh, dear," The woman drawled, picking up the fish and weighing them. "You're better at this than your brothers."

Aito beamed back proudly and Chizuru did as well. Praise was rarely given and was always honest. Aito genuinely was good at catching things, as well as building traps. She would be a good hunter in the future, and most likely would end up becoming one for her own family. Chizuru could see her marrying someone weaker than herself, or at least someone who preferred gardening to tracking down animals.

As if the praised summoned them, Aito's eldest brothers came tumbling into their shop. They were both blondes with deep brown eyes, like their father, though there were differences. The eldest, Daisuke, had more feminine features and leaner muscles, while Keisuke had broad shoulders and short legs. Out of the two of them, Daisuke was strongest, but no one would be able to tell from first glance… unless they were witnessing Daisuke carrying his limping and bruised brother through their village.

Machi gasped, dropped the fish in her hands, and rushed over to the boys. She quickly removed Keisuke from his brother's support and setting him down on the ground near the wall. "What happened?" She demanded Daisuke, setting her accusing eyes on him.

Daisuke simply rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the fifteen year old's head, who immediately scowled and looked another direction. "This one decided it would be smart to get in a fight with the fisherman's son."

"Makoto?" The woman asked with a gasp. Then, her small hand lifted and whacked the younger of the two harshly. "Idiot! What were you thinking? Only little boys get in fights. Just yesterday you were telling me to treat you more like a man," She went on, waving her hands in her anger. "How can I treat you like a man if you can't even control your temper?"

Keisuke pouted and folded his arms under his chest. "It wouldn't've been such a big deal if nii-san didn't interfere."

The taller of the two laughed lightly and placed his hand in his brother's dirty hair. "He would've eaten Keisuke here for dinner and then used the bones to clean his teeth."

"And you!" Machi rounded on Daisuke, who immediately placed his hands in the air and put some distance between himself and the angry mother. "You're supposed to watch him! What, are you going to tell me that you couldn't stop this idiot from fighting someone three times his size?"

"Maa," Daisuke started, only to be cut off by himself. A yelp escaped his mouth when his mother slapped his shoulder. She wasn't as rough with the boys as their father would have been, and her slaps didn't honestly hurt, but they were still terrified of the smaller woman. Chizuru _adored_ Machi. "Sorry!"

Chizuru took that moment to grab her friends hand and start pulling her towards the door, her own bag slung over her shoulder. The fish inside were still wet, but dead, and they'd be able to cook it as soon as she got back to her home. When they made it outside, Aito grinned and hugged her friend. "Thanks for helping me today, Chi-chan!"

The brunette waved her off. "No problem," She said. "Tell your mom I said bye. See you tomorrow!"

With another hug, they parted ways.

* * *

Aito tapped her fingers on the wooden floor beneath them. They were seven and Aito was beginning to feel adventurous, and curious. Chizuru knew that if she were an actual seven year old girl she would desire to see the world as well, but she isn't and is content to stay in her small village for the rest of her life. It wasn't the best place, especially not compared to the home that she had in the past, but it was quaint. Everyone knew everyone, and they all worked together in times of need.

"Don't you ever think about leaving?" Aito questioned, staring outside the open door. They were letting the wind in because of the heat, so that the home didn't get stuffy. She was looking at it, though, as if it had all of the answers she was looking for; all of the secrets of the world.

"Sometimes," Chizuru answered honestly. "But I don't think I ever will. Why, do you?"

Aito let out a breath of air, her pale eyes focusing somewhere else. "All the time. I just feel like there's more than this out there. Dad says that he used to be a merchant; would travel all the time. Maybe we can do that?"

"We?" Chizuru questioned, raising her eyebrows. She hadn't yet gotten down how to raise only one.

The blonde laughed, throwing her head back slightly. "Of course, we! I can't go anywhere without you, now can I?"

Chizuru laughed as well and shook her head, letting strands of stringy brown hair slap her in the face. "Guess not," She agreed. "When're we leaving?"

"Now!" Aito threw her hands in the air. "We can survive on our own, can't we? You've got your cool feel-y thingy and I'm pretty much the best hunter in the entire world. We'd make a good team, neh? People will turn us into a story: two beautiful women-" Chizuru snorted- "two _beautiful_ women," Aito firmly repeated after the interruption, "even though one is kind of creepy-"

"I hope you're talking about yourself," Chizuru deadpanned.

The blonde shot up and placed her hands on each of Chizuru's shoulders, trying her best to look worried and completely innocent. "Chi-chan, living in denial is bad for your health. You can feel vibrations that nobody else can. That's creepy."

"It's chakra," Chizuru shot back, even though she knew next to nothing about it. She couldn't explain why it vibrated, or why it was there, or what it even was. Just that it was there and she could feel it. It was almost comfortable, after she'd spent so long getting used to taking in everything at once, to have something that was always there- always around her. "Shinobi can feel it, too. That's how they breathe fire."

Aito eyed her best friend. "Why can't _you_ breathe fire?"

"I'm not a shinobi," Chizuru grumbled. "You have to learn how to be one, right? I don't have anyone to teach me."

"Unimportant details," Aito waved off. "Anyway, if you become a shinobi I'd have to be one, too, and all that fighting I hear about seems so pointless. We'd be better off as merchants." Chizuru didn't tell her that people had to be born into that type of family in order to live like that, because businesses were large and people had to have connections- otherwise they were stuck living on the farm. Same with shinobi families, though there were still few who continued on with the career. It wasn't something that was spoken, though, so she didn't expect Aito to know this for several more years.

Chizuru started picking at a scab on her knee, trying to keep her hands occupied while they spoke. After working for so long, it felt odd to just sit still, but their parents were approving of their relaxation time and the two of them honestly did need a break. Their bodies were too small for all of the stress that they were putting on them. The bags under Chizuru's eyes only worsened with the years, and the calluses on her hands grated against the softer parts of her skin- like her stomach. Her brown hair matted in some places, sos he had to keep cutting it short. It rested in spikes around her chin, wild and unbrushed. Her mother was so sad when she cut it. Aito, on the other hand, grew her teeth in, but she was stocky and getting boyish with her muscles. Her blonde hair was in two permanent buns to keep the hair out of her face, though she did try sporting bangs for a little while.

If it weren't for the life they were living, Chizuru knew that Aito would be beautiful and she would be _overlooked_. Brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin… everything about the child would've made her easily blend in with the crowd. They were growing, though, and that much was obvious.

"You wouldn't have to become a shinobi if I became on, you know," The brunette blurted out.

Aito looked at her best friend as if the brunette lost her head. "Are you kidding? We're best friends 'till the end! Where you go, I go. Where I go, you go. If you decide you want to be one of those idiots, I guess I'll be an idiot too. Wouldn't you become a merchant with me, if I left?"

Chizuru shrugged. Yes. They'd been practically inseparable after meeting two years prior. It was silly, how a now 47 year old woman was finding the best friend of her life in a child, but things happened- and the more years passed on, the less she felt like herself. Chizuru was a child and, though she would vehemently deny this, she felt like one sometimes- and that child couldn't just let Aito go anywhere without her. "I guess," She replied instead.

Aito smirked. "Chi-chan, living in denial is bad for your health," She repeated, and Chizuru's ears reddened before she pointedly looked away.

* * *

Makoto was twenty years old, and had Chizuru not been seven, she would have actually considered him as a potential love interest. Though he had a horrible violent streak and reputation in the village, he was a good man. And so, so very attractive.

Attractive men, especially villagers, were hard to find in this new part of the world. They had no motivation to look good. Their hair was generally long, unwashed, and their hands were always rough. Chizuru could barely remember making her boyfriend get a pedicure once and the man actually liked it enough to return with her each time, but seeing the men surrounding her reminded her that beauty wasn't important, work was. It was so very different than the men who worried over their appearances.

Seeing Makoto, though he would've been plain (possibly even ugly) in another life, was like looking at one of those male models in magazines. With cropped black hair, deep onyx colored eyes, and that _wonderfully_ lazy smile, Makoto was the dream man of the village. When Keisuke fought him, they were fighting over women; particularly a girl that Keisuke had been in love with for as long as Chizuru had known him.

The man was helping Hanako pack things that they needed around the house in a wagon, smiling and talking with the older woman as he did so. Every so often he would look over at Chizuru, who would (unfortunately) blush, and smile. Her heart fluttered every time. She was trying to be subtle about her small attraction to the man, but she could tell that he already knew. Probably even appreciated it. He seemed like the type to like attention.

While Chizuru was being subtle, Aito was flat out staring. "I'm gonna marry him," She declared as soon as they were out of earshot. Then her pale blue eyes landed on her best friend. "We can share. I don't think he'd mind."

"He's too old for us," Chizuru argued.

"What does _that_ matter?" The blonde challenged. "If we add our ages together we'd be old enough. So me, and you, together, would be old enough for him."

Aito's best friend laughed. "It matters! I don't even know where you got that from, but I don't think that's right!"

Before Aito could argue, Makoto and Hanako came back from their work. Two sets of eyes were immediately on his bare chest. They were seven, but people aged a whole lot faster than they should've in such a country. And, besides, they sat at the same dinner table as Aito's brothers and all those people seemed to talk about was sex. Her sisters, on the other hand, would only talk of romance. They were most definitely crushing on Makoto as well.

The blonde shoved her elbow into her friend's side, nudging her harshly before leaning in to whisper. "We can share."

Chizuru found that her voice no longer worked, so she nodded.

Hormones? Probably. She was so not looking forward to having a period all over again. The fact that she couldn't look away from some hot man reminded her of that.

Makoto flashed them a smile. His teeth were crooked, but he was older and they _weren't missing. Beautiful_. "What're you two up to now?"

They both blushed then. Aito's went straight to her cheeks, reddening her entire face, while pink only crawled up Chizuru's neck and stained her ears. It was just as obvious as Aito's, though, if only because her larger-than-normal ears poked out of her hair. She was glad that movies seemingly didn't exist in this part of the world, if only because she was saved from being called 'Dumbo'. They were embarrassed, though, because their _reputation_ was just beginning to set.

Chizuru wasn't smart. Especially not in this new world, where she couldn't read or write or do much of anything except work, but she was good at _planning_. Aito, on the other hand, was good at creating. With a lifetime of pent-up boredom, the only thing they really had to do was mess around with the other villagers. Honestly, Chizuru hadn't pranked a person in her entire life until Aito came around and decided life wasn't fun enough. The child went along with her friend because, well, it was honestly _fun_.

Unfortunately, their fun resulted in a lot of angry people and the reputation as the village's troublemakers. The fact that they looked like street rats didn't really help.

But they normally didn't mind this. However, Aito wanted to seem like she was old enough for the man's attention and being known as the village prankster didn't exactly scream _maturity_. Chizuru was guiltily thinking the same thoughts, lightly scolding herself like she would have done her old children had they been anywhere near as wild.

"N-nothing," Aito stuttered out. "Nothing at all!"

Chizuru found that she was bobbing her head in agreement. "Yep! Totally nothing!" Both of their eyes, at the same moment, darted from his sweaty chest to his face. Close up, Chizuru could see the sunburn and freckles on his shoulders and wondered how often he spent shirtless- and then thought that he should probably do it more. The Sun was no longer the enemy, especially not if it did _that_ to bodies.

They coughed. "We're innocent!"

Makoto looked like he wanted to laugh, but instead settled for grinning. "You don't look too innocent for me."

Aito was the first to recover, waving the man off. "Maa, two cute, innocent seven year old girls? What could we possibly be up to?"

Chizuru bit her lip to keep in her laugh. "Aito-chan and I were just talking about flowers, you know? It's about that time of year…"

"Our favorites are azaleas!" Aito threw out, throwing her hands in their air. "Just-just to let you know."

That next week, Makoto gave the two of them a bundle of pink flowers and Aito spent the rest of the night fanning herself. Chizuru was too prideful to do so as well, but when the blush actually spread to her cheeks Aito could tell that it affected her just as much. And, though they knew that they didn't have a chance in hell and he was simply making two little girls happy, they allowed themselves to plan their wedding. Starting with a list of all who were invited.

"The whole world," Aito stated. "I want everyone to see."

Chizuru agreed.

* * *

A month later, Machi was _sick_. It was cold and, because she was older than the rest, it was easier for her to catch disease.

She and Aito weren't allowed to go anywhere near her, even though Aito continuously tried (with Chizuru's help, of course.) They were worried. Getting sick, especially in their village, usually meant death, and Aito spent most nights at Chizuru's house saying so and _worrying_.

Hanako was the one that volunteered to take care of the woman, even if she knew the chances of her getting sick as well were high if she spent a long time exposed to her. Still, the brunette couldn't stand seeing children so distressed and wanted to do everything she could to help. The doctor couldn't spend very long with them, and all of Machi's children were working to keep the house and feed them. Medicine only got more expensive the sicker she seemed to get.

Keisuke started coughing the same time Hanako did, and Chizuru felt a little part of herself become cold with dread.

* * *

Aito's hand was so tight in hers that it hurt, but she was thankful for the pressure. It was a funeral, though nothing like the ones in her old country. People didn't have many black clothes, and the funeral was being held for three people instead of just one. They were going to burn the bodies, and Chizuru wanted so badly to scream at them to _stop, please, stop_, because that was her _mother_ in there, but she couldn't bring herself to move forward.

Chizuru didn't even care that her nose was running with her tears. She sniffled, but not as often as she should've. She was far too busy choking on her tears. Aito was doing the same.

Behind them, Daisuke was frowning. It was a cold world that they lived in, when a teenage boy couldn't cry at his mother's and brother's funeral, but Chizuru knew what he felt. It was dead. They were dead. Out of all of the children Machi had, Daisuke and Keisuke were the closest. They shared a room their entire lives. Every second of Daisuke's day was spent with Keisuke. It was a friendship like Chizuru's and Aito's, and the brunette didn't dare think about what would have happened had she lost her mother and best friend at the same time.

When the bodies went up in flames, Daisuke crouched down and wrapped his long arms around the two children. Chizuru buried her face in his chest and cried so hard that she hyperventilated. He only held on tighter.

* * *

"We should go," Aito told her. "I don't wanna be here anymore. Nobody's happy."

Chizuru was laying on her futon, brown eyes staring up at that same, leaky ceiling that she'd grown accustomed to her entire life. Without her mother at the house, it seemed so much more empty and terrifying. There was no orphanage in the town, so she had the choice of staying with Aito or picking up her mother's load. Chizuru chose the latter, if only because she couldn't _let go_.

"Where would we go?" Chizuru asked, turning to look at her friend. Aito was frowning, something that was rare before her mom died, but an expression she often wore after. It'd only been three months, and Chizuru would turn eight in three more. Aito had four months to go. They were far too young to go out on their own, with bandits and shinobi everywhere.

Aito's expression was determined. "We can join a caravan."

"Daisuke has to come," Chizuru told her. If her brother actually agreed to take them out of the village, Chizuru would be able to leave everything behind. If Daisuke agreed, the two of them could be merchants and they would see the world. She knew that she was only running away from her problems, not really wanting to face the fact that her mom was dead and her life was falling apart. "If Daisuke says yes-"

Aito perked up, grinning. "You'll go?"

"We're best friends, remember? Wherever you go, I go."

"And where you go, I go," Aito added. She smiled and rolled out her own futon, only inches away from Chizuru's. They spent many nights like that with each other, spending the night so that neither had to be alone. Aito shared a room with her sisters, but she told Chizuru that they cried themselves to sleep and it was so hard to sleep in there with them. Chizuru found herself not only mourning the loss of her mother, but also Aito's innocence. She knew the death of someone close, and that would forever stay with her. "Thanks, Chi-chan."

Chizuru reached out and linked her hand with Aito's, threading their fingers together. "'Night, Aito."

"'Night, Chizuru."

Chizuru dreamed of her children that night and understood, more than she ever wanted to, how they felt after her death.

* * *

"No."

Unsurprisingly, Daisuke wanted to stay with his family. Their father was aging much quicker than before and seemed haggard. There were dark circles under his eyes and Chizuru knew that his wife's death had hit him hard. That didn't mean Daisuke wasn't taking it hard. It was obvious that the brother wasn't sleeping well, or eating. He was thinner. His skin was paler. Overall, he looked a whole lot worse than their father, but he was younger and more able to work. Aito, however, was relentless- even if she had noticed the changes in her brother. "I hate it here!" She yelled. "I hate looking at everybody! I hate everybody looking at me!"

The blonde ran fingers through his hair, sending a pained look to his little sister. "I can't, Aito-chan. You can't, either. What do you think is out there? What do you want so badly that you have to leave us?" When he got nothing but tears in reply, he sighed. "You can't run from everything, imouto. The past will always be there, even if you try to leave it behind."

Aito shook her head, while Chizuru took his words to heart. Before her mom died, she was perfectly content to remain in the village for the rest of her life. But everywhere she looked there was death. She wanted more than that. It was hard to sleep when she couldn't feel her mother across the room from her. "I'm not running!"

"Then what are you doing?" Daisuke asked, crouching down so that he was facing the two of them. "What will leaving accomplish? Give me a good reason, and I'll think about going with you. But I can't run, imouto, and you can't either."

"I hate it," She said again, this time lower. "Everyone is so sad all the time. Nobody's happy anymore. I hate looking at them." Daisuke frowned, obviously thinking about himself. "I miss mom," Her voice cracked. "I miss nii-san. I hate this."

Daisuke pulled his younger sister in for a hug, falling back on his butt in the process. Aito cried in his neck and held onto him as tight as she could. Chizuru felt like she was intruding, but she needed to hear this, because she hated it too. Maybe she wasn't seeing her family falling apart like Aito was, but she hated being so sad all of the time. Running, however, would solve nothing. Silently, Chizuru stepped out of the home and began walking towards where she last saw her mother's body. There was a dead patch of grass and a few rocks, as well as flowers left by mourning villagers.

Chizuru sat in front of the site and pulled her knees close to her chest. She couldn't believe how bony she'd gotten in the past month and realized that she was just the same as Daisuke. Sleep only came when Aito spent the night, and cooking was so difficult when her limbs were being weighed down by depression. Everything just _happened_ and she let it happen, no longer doing anything about life.

The child began humming the song her mother used to sing to her as she rested her head between her knees, placing her left cheek between the bones.

"Love you," She spoke to the ground, and hoped that maybe there was an afterlife beyond rebirth. That maybe, just maybe, her mom could hear her and understand.

* * *

Makoto placed his hand on the brunette's head and ruffled her hair, further ruining the growing locks. "Where do you need me?" He asked, throwing an empty bag over his shoulder.

Chizuru raised her eyebrows and stood up, drying her hands off on her baggy pants. "What?" She dumbly questioned, blinking up at the attractive man.

It'd been a week since she visited her mother's "grave", and life was… not getting better, but she was in the process of fixing that. Though she was in a child's body, she was an adult and could take care of herself. Or so she thought. It wasn't until she began truly doing all of the work around the house that she realized just how much her mom had to do. It was impossible, especially for someone who tired as easily as a child, but she was still trying. The workload had to decrease, though, and the plants were slowly starting to die from neglect. She often found herself frowning at them while she worked on something else.

"I'm here to help, pipsqueak. You're in charge around here, so tell me what to do."

Chizuru blinked again, and Makoto laughed, taking in the state of her home and garden. "I'll just… go work over here," He told her, pointing towards the plants.

While he walked away, Chizuru stared at his back and decided that he was a perfect human being and she was in love. "Th-Thank you!"

Makoto laughed, "Don't mention it, pipsqueak!"

The raven ended up staying for dinner, helping her gather fish and showing her how to gut them. It was disgusting, yes, but she didn't care nearly as much as she would have had she been someone else. This was how life was for her. If she couldn't handle fish guts, or killing an animal, how would she survive? He was the one to start conversation, and it was rather unpleasant, but… somewhere inside, she was glad that someone was willing to talk with her about it. Aito was still hurting just as badly. "So, care to tell me why you're still staying here?"

The chopsticks stopped halfway to Chizuru's mouth. "Ehhh," She drawled, tearing her brown eyes away from her plate to look into his onyx ones. "I just… couldn't leave."

"A lot of work to do just because you can't leave," He commented, slowly picking up his own food to eat.

Chizuru shook her head. "I can handle it."

Makoto sighed and looked around her house, noticing the mess that she didn't have time to clean after working that day. If she'd known he would come, she would have picked up a little. To Aito, the state of the house didn't matter, but to someone else… Chizuru didn't know what he was thinking, until he spoke, "Guess I'll just have to keep coming over then." The man grinned.

Her heart stopped working right then.

* * *

Aito yanked her to the side as soon as the blonde entered her home. "Why is there a Kami in your garden?"

Chizuru laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**: They say that if you fold one thousand origami cranes you'll be granted one wish. Chizuru wished for life. SI OC-centric AU

**AN**: Ahh! I feel like I kind of rushed this one, so sorry! I'll definitely lengthen the next chapter if this sort of thing bothers people, but it's not nearly as rushed as my last attempt at a story (thankfully!) I think I'm getting better? Hopefully. I don't know.

Someone asked me what the plot was, and I realized that it might take a while for anything to really show, so I guess I'll give you some information! Chizuru is in a village near the border of Fire country and the land of Water. She's definitely going to be meeting people from canon, I just won't tell you who! (You'll see in this chapter, don't worry.) I don't think that she'll be going to Konoha, so sorry about that. Just doesn't seem right since everyone always ends up in Konoha one way or another. It's not a definite-thing, though. Tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is the bomb!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto.

**"With a young leaf**

**I would wipe the tears**

**from your eyes."**

**- Matsuo Bashō**

**02.**

People ran from their problems. That was how a lot survived, by avoiding confrontation until the very last minute- until they were prepared enough to handle them, or couldn't ignore them anymore. Though Chizuru promised that she would no longer try to run from things, she was still trying to avoid thinking of her past life. She was still avoiding thinking of her mom. It was so easy to tell herself that, if she could just clean up and finish the day's work, everything would be just _fine_.

Makoto had left, telling her he was leaving for Wave country, because they were living in a dying town and his father couldn't afford to stay there any longer. The only reason they stayed for so long was because Makoto had grown up in their village and his father cared deeply for the people. After that last winter, when Chizuru lost her mom and Aito lost her mom and brother, the village-people's numbers dropped greatly. He told her he would be back, but Chizuru knew better.

He asked her to go, and no matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't leave.

It was getting harder to live there, and everyone knew it. Nobody could leave, not like Makoto and Natsu, who would be able to find work elsewhere. If anybody else left, they would be given the worst types of jobs for the least pay, or even kidnapped and used in the shinobi armies to allow the more powerful, more loyal, people to come in and do the work. It was a cold and terrifying world out there, and Chizuru was learning more about it every day.

"They're gonna start fighting again soon," Sachiko informed the children as they helped gather manure. The woman was older than the rest of the people in the village and tough as a nail, so she didn't actually need help around her farm. Her kind heart, though, got the better of her and one day she offered Chizuru and Aito a job. "Dunno what they're fighting for, but it's looking pretty bad. Been thinking about moving North to Waterfall. You kids should, too. Can't be too close to all this fighting."

Chizuru wiped her bangs away from her sweaty forehead with the back of her wrist. "Can't leave without Aito, and Aito can't leave."

The blonde smiled weakly at her friend and said, "Daisuke might rethink leaving if we tell him all this stuff. He's stubborn, but not stupid." He'd been running the house since their father fell ill. It was unspoken that he would die soon, as he no longer had the will to live. Her sisters had already married into larger families and were on the way to having children of their own. Sousuke, the youngest brother in the family, was the only one left besides Aito and Daisuke, and he would be leaving soon as well. Daisuke was the only one left to make the decisions and take care of their family, however small it might've been.

"Kids been disappearing in the bigger villages 'round here. Fire country's looking dangerous. They're fighting so close to our homes. Nobody cares about small people like us, y'know. We're just bugs that nobody goes out of their way to step on, but they step on us anyway because we're alive and in the way," Sachiko's clipped voice, as well as how casually she spoke of their deaths, made the children uncomfortable. "Got family in Waterfall, so at least if they run me over there I'll have somebody goin' down with me." The elderly woman winked at the two.

Aito grunted as she pushed the wheelbarrow towards the farm. Chizuru followed with one of her own and added, "Where would we even go if everybody's fighting? I hear it's worse in Grass, from that shopkeeper- you know, the one that came from Bird country a while back?"

"Jun?" Aito questioned, looking in the direction they knew his shop would be. "Why'd he come here, anyway?"

Sachiko spoke from behind them, "Heard he was lookin' for family, but he came after people started dyin'. Don't think he'll find whoever he was looking for."

Chizuru hummed. "Yeah, well, he said he went to Grass before he came here and that it was pretty much a dead land. Whatever's going on up there isn't nice. How do you figure Waterfall's not the same?" The brunette could only imagine how messed up he was afterwards, and understood why he wanted to stay in their peaceful village, even if it wasn't the ideal place to be at a time like this.

Aito frowned. "Maybe we should head for Wave," she added, somewhat jokingly.

The brunette rolled her eyes and gave a short laugh. "You just want to follow the love of your life. He's still too old for us, you know." With Chizuru being eight this month, and Aito turning eight the next, neither of them honestly had a chance of being anything but a younger sister figure. It wouldn't be childhood if they weren't crushing on the ex-most beautiful boy in the village, though, so they continued dreaming.

Sachiko looked amused. "Who does she love?"

"You love him, too!" Aiko accused, stopping mid-push to point an accusing finger in Chizuru's face. "Chi-chan loves Makoto. She spent like every day with him before he left!"

"Did she now? The fisherman's son?" Sachiko asked, raising an eyebrow in their direction. The brunette could barely force the blush down, and that was enough to make Sachiko laugh. "Why are you two girls puppy-lovin' someone so much older than you? Don't you like the village boys? You know, that Haru is looking to be a fine boy."

Chizuru wrinkled her nose, both at the thought of looking at anyone younger than twenty and anyone thinking that Haru was cute. He might've been, had he not been the hugest ten year old jerk in the world. Since he was two years older than them, he took it upon himself to boss everyone around when he came out of his house. Still, he had pretty green eyes and a mess of red hair that would've had any girl blushing… had he not been a jerk.

Aito voiced her opinion of him loudly, "Who, that pig? No way!"

The elderly woman laughed, throwing her head back as she did so. "Then who would you prefer, hopefully someone your own age?"

The two of them looked at each other before nodding. Chizuru was the one who spoke, "We're gonna marry Makoto together, so we're gonna be married to each other someday, I guess."

Aito nodded and sang, "Chi-chan's the only one for me, now that Makoto-kun is gone. She's just too constipated to admit that she loves me back."

Chizuru's blush came back with a vengeance.

* * *

"What do you think?" Makoto asked, standing a bit to the side to survey his hard work. The garden was looking better than it had been since her mother was alive, and Chizuru could only look on in wonder. It was impossible for her to make anything aesthetically pleasing, since there was so much work to do and she was still so young. She didn't think that she would appreciate something like this so much.

"Awesome! Thanks!" The child looked up to him with wide, happy eyes and Makoto grinned proudly.

"No problem, pipsqueak," He stated airily, turning his head away from her happy gaze. Just in time, because her eyes quickly narrowed and her cheeks puffed out in embarrassment and anger.

True to his word, the man visited and picked up where they left off. He was good at acting like he hadn't been gone for months, and Chizuru was good at acting like she didn't doubt him. They were busy, anyway, and Makoto was staying at her house since there were no others in the village. It was alright with the brunette since she was getting a bit lonely. Aito could only stay over every once and a while, since she had her own family to spend time with. Their village didn't have an orphanage and Chizuru was honestly lucky that they were letting her keep her home, as long as she put in work.

The raven couldn't stay for long, Chizuru knew that, but he would be there long enough for her to finally fix everything up. She was getting better at taking care of everything, even if it wasn't all done perfectly, but she wasn't too prideful to admit she really needed help. She just couldn't afford it. Maybe… Leaving would be her best option. She knew that people would need workers, and would offer housing on the land. The pay would be terrible, and the life miserable, but it would be better than nothing. Stress.

Makoto patted her on the head. "Stop looking so serious, pipsqueak. You're gonna look like an old lady if you keep scrunching your face up like that."

In response, Chizuru jokingly wrinkled her nose.

* * *

The next week, Makoto kissed her and she ran.

His black eyes were so large, so uncertain, but he was so _old_ compared to the child. Her soul was an old one, but her body? So small, so vulnerable. So, _so wrong_. She longed for a mother that would hold her and keep her safe, though she was _supposed_ to be that mother. Chizuru wasn't. She was a child, and scared, and didn't know what she was supposed to do in that type of situation. Fight or flight kicked in and she chose to run instead of push him away.

He was gone when she came back. Chizuru was glad. She was too scared of facing her problems to hope to see him again.

* * *

Haru had joined their little group shortly after, though Chizuru still didn't really like him and he didn't actually like her. She had to admit that he was cute, and nicer than normal, though. Just not to _her._ Aito was getting prettier and prettier each month, as she wasn't working nearly as hard as she used to. Her sisters would send makeup and Chizuru, with memories of a woman who did her makeup every day, helped the young girl apply it. It was odd seeing an almost-nine year old trying to look like an adult, but Chizuru didn't say anything. They were all maturing too fast. She couldn't compare the morals of another life to the morals of this one. She _couldn't_.

The thought of the kiss still made her stomach turn, so she focused on helping her best friend with her crush. It was the first one that a relationship could come out of. Haru's family was a lot better off than a lot of the other people in the town and Chizuru hated herself for seeing ryo instead of love, but she knew that Aito marrying into that family would only bring her good fortune. Money was important and marrying into money wasn't as immoral as it once would've been. Had Haru been interested in her, she would've at least pretended to return his feelings.

Aito was sincere, though. She always had been. Her heart was worn on her sleeve and those big blue eyes always revealed what she was thinking. Eyes are windows to the soul. Chizuru wondered if they were like her own, and if she was growing just as beautiful as her friend. She didn't think so.

Her skin remained rough and since she was forced to cut her own hair the spikes were more wild than they ever had been before. She couldn't cut evenly, especially not the back, so she would place her hair in a low pony tail and cut with a knife. She missed her mom. She _needed_ her mom, or _someone_. _Anyone._

For a second, she thought that she shouldn't have run from Makoto and made herself sick enough to throw up. What was becoming of the once kind woman, who would never sit by and just let a child be with a pedophile?

That woman was disappearing, though it was taking a long time. She wanted to fight, but the loneliness mixed with long, work-filled days was beginning to take away the fight left in her. Chizuru couldn't find the energy to care that the woman she used to be was drifting away. How would she stop such a change, anyway? Do things that she did in her past life? She couldn't drive, or go to Starbucks, or smother her children and embarrass them. There was _nothing_.

_Who was she_?

_Linda_. The name, said only once in her mind, had her crying herself to sleep and praying to dream of nothing. She couldn't bear thinking of the comfortable life that she would never have again. It hurt to think of her old name because she hadn't truly been Linda for a long time. She was Chizuru.

Letting go was hard, but she could always run. Chizuru thought that she was getting a bit too good at that.

* * *

His golden eyes, partially covered by purple eyelids, flickered in the candlelight, and the whiteness of his skin seemed almost ethereal as he stood in her home. Silky black hair fell around his shoulders and down to his back, and all Chizuru could think of was how beautiful he seemed in the shadows that the flames provided. The man felt and looked like a powerful Kami standing before her and the feel of his presence made her weak in the knees.

Who was she compared to him? He was a beacon, drawing her in and destroying her with his light; the flame that reduced her to dust. She was nothing.

"My name is Orochimaru," He introduced himself before Chizuru could ask why he was there. The child blinked at him, curiously. What was he doing there? It didn't seem like he wanted to kill her, as he would've done so already. It would be so easy. He was a _shinobi_. "Is your mother home?"

He knew that she wasn't. If he had chakra, he could feel the world like herself. The brunette shook her head anyway. He hummed, scanning the room with those beautiful eyes of his. Then they fell back on her and she did her best to stand straight; did her best to fight off the tremors of being looked at by someone who could see through her. He smiled and she couldn't help but find him so beautiful, like a natural predator. _Great snake_. How fitting.

"Do you have anyone?" He questioned, and it sounded so_ caring_. No… that wasn't it. He couldn't care. _No_. It sounded like he _understood_. Chizuru blinked up at him before slowly shaking her head. She had Aito, but she didn't think he was talking about that. "Ah," He breathed, leaning his head back to look at the ceiling. "Would you like to come with me?"

She thought of Aito and Makoto, and the people of the village, and actually_ considered_ it. She'd been considering leaving for so long that the thought of leaving with this man was enticing. It would be bad to trust a killer, but he couldn't be all that bad. He was human, just as the rest of the world. He had blood on his hands, but in the world filled with war having blood on one's hands wasn't all that bad.

"I can't leave without my best friend," Chizuru answered.

Orochimaru nodded and leaned down in front of her, finally closing the space between them. Her breath was taken away. She feared him enough to respect him because she could feel the power thrumming through his body, like beating drums. It made her hands sweat and her heart speed up. She'd only ever felt the hum of someone who never used their chakra, like her mother. Being in the presence of someone so obviously out of her league was terrifying enough that she couldn't help but take note of his obvious skills. _Like a Kami_. "She can come, too," He offered lightly. It didn't sound like he liked that idea.

Chizuru shook her head. "She wouldn't be allowed to."

Then the raven smiled at her and placed his hand on top of her head. It was surprisingly warm and she didn't know why she expected it to feel colder than that. "Are you really so loyal to stay in a dying town for one person? She will eventually leave you behind, as all friends do, and you will be left alone. What then? I can give you a purpose. What life is there for you here? Do you plan to live alone? Did you ever think about becoming a kunoichi? I can tell that you've used your chakra," He told her, picking his hand off her head to poke her under her navel. "You could be so much more than this," He whispered, and those were the words that hit her like a hard punch to the face.

"Why me?" Chizuru asked him, wide-eyed. The offer wasn't entirely innocent, she knew that, but Kami did she want to run away with him and never return. She didn't ever want to see Makoto again, or have to fend for herself, or deal with watching her friend be wooed by villagemen while she remained too ugly to marry. If she learned how to become a shinobi, she wouldn't be cursed to that life. She could be more, he said. More than the nothingness that she had become. "Why do you want me to go with you?"

The man looked straight in her eyes and smiled. "You're special, Chizuru-chan."

Orochimaru offered her his hand.

She took it.

* * *

It was a _mistake_ to leave with him. _Of course_ the life of a shinobi wouldn't be more comfortable than that of a farmer. It was hard work. Constant training. The amount of work she put into taking care of her farm tenfold, and then repeated every day. Repeated until her arms would no longer move, or her legs would lock up and refuse to go further. Chizuru couldn't catch her breath. There was no time, and she hated that.

Orochimaru was a slavedriver and expected only the best. He thought that she could give him that, and she would prove that she could. Chizuru refused to stop, and every time the man offered her a smile or praise, or even just allowed her to walk around the forest with him afterwards, she felt better than she had in a long time because she had a purpose. How sick had she been to need a parental-figure so much to just follow the man.

Her loyalty was blind. She could see no faults.

The pale man inspired loyalty like no other. Patriotism had nothing on his manipulations. It was all just right. When he came to her, she was questioning her life and begging the world to give her something more; make her someone else. Aito was already spending more time with Haru and Chizuru was selfish, and hateful, and jealous. He could see that. Orochimaru knew more about her than she would ever know about herself and that unnerved her greatly.

It had been a month since she joined him in some underground base. The lack of windows or fresh air reminded her of an office space, or a dungeon. But there were no people chained to walls. No one was begging to get out. Everyone there was powerful. Just not as powerful as the man that allowed her to stay at his side. Living there, at first, made her nauseous. When she told Orochimaru why it made him happy with her, so she fought the urge to vomit down.

Eventually the buzz of living there died down and comforted her, much like the village did at night when she couldn't sleep. It was constant, and strong. There was no escaping, but she didn't want to run from that place.

Orochimaru held out his hand and she took it. His own rough skin rubbed against hers, and she wished that she could have softer hands, prettier ones. Her looks weren't important to her before, since she had always been a beautiful woman, but after being judged so quickly for so long she was beginning to lose that confidence in herself. Her skills were replacing it.

Once, Orochimaru showed her a map of their country and the countries surrounding it. He had been teaching her to read and write, claiming that he wouldn't allow an idiot child to train under him, so she tried her best to learn. Everything was so different from how it used to be and much more difficult, so learning was slower than she would have liked it to be. She continued trying, anyway.

"What about the rest of the world?" She asked him, wondering why they weren't showing the world-map. Chizuru wanted to see how close she was to America, or any other well-known country. If they were fighting wars, was it only between themselves? That seemed awful, being so close to an enemy. And, she noted, there were no guns. Men killed men with their bare hands. No wonder shinobi were so paranoid.

Orochimaru frowned and told her, "This is it."

"But… isn't the Earth round?" She questioned curiously, looking up at his unimpressed face.

"Where did you get such ideas? We live in the Elemental Nations, and there's nothing round about it," He lectured, straightening out the map as if she needed to see it better. His slender finger pointed "This-" His finger slid upwards until it landed on a place called Rice country- "is where we live. Sound. It's my village."

She didn't know that. "You're the leader?"

Chizuru didn't know where they truly were, either. The place was unfamiliar, but she had never been good with geography. She could be anywhere in the world, probably one of the islands that were more isolated than the rest. Then again, this place was large enough to be known, and if someone had travelled they would've noticed something off about the people. _Where was she_? Did they hide themselves from the world? If so, how could they not know about the people they were trying to hide from? Orochimaru was powerful and brilliant. Surely _he_ would know if they existed.

Orochimaru placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair. His smile made her body warm. "Of course I am," He answered. "Couldn't you tell?"

The brunette could. There was no one else as strong as he. It took her breath away just how great he was. It should've occurred to her that he was practically the king of these people, all who worshipped him. All who served him. "You're stronger than everyone else," Was her answer.

He was pleased.

* * *

Her fist came down on her opponent's skull, and then she dropped faster than she could think to step further into his guard and knock him backwards. It was difficult, however, seeing as how the boy had more power and chakra than she had- and an extra set of arms.

Kidomaru grabbed her wrists to keep the brunette from attacking again, and then sent a haymaker towards her nose. Before the hit could touch, she performed a sealless Kawarimi with one of the kunai in the corner to escape. If he hit her, the fight would be over much quicker. Her tolerance for pain was getting better, but a hit would leave her disoriented and Kidomaru would take advantage of that to take her down. She _couldn't_ lose this fight. Chizuru had spent so much time training under Orochimaru-sama and to lose would be an insult to her master.

Again, Chizuru rushed at him and slipped, yet again, past his guard. It was extremely difficult and he was beginning to form webs with his chakra. She had yet to learn very many ninjutsu, but she had mastered the Kawarimi and planned on mastering more. Her elements were Earth and Water. Orochimaru-sama said that he would be able to teach her something special, told her he already knew and that was why he gave her a purpose.

Chizuru knew that power was the only reason he kept her around, yet she was needy. The brunette deluded herself into thinking that Orochimaru-sama cared for her, like a parent would care for their child, and knew that she was. It was just easier to think that way, and it made her feel a hell of a lot better. More whole. More _alive_.

Kidomaru grunted when she palmed his nose and slapped hands over his ears, disorienting him long enough to place a kunai against his throat and draw blood. There was a cold detachment that settled in her stomach as she stood there, threatening to end a little boy's life. This wasn't her.

No. It was her. It just wasn't the part of her that she liked.

"I give," Kidomaru grunted and she slowly pulled away. He grinned, large and wild. With tanned skin that matched Chizuru's own, she could tell that he'd spent most of his life outside- and that his life wasn't nearly as pleasant as her own. Ending up in Orochimaru-sama's care was probably one of the best things that could've happened to him. "Getting a bit ruthless there, eh, Zuru-chan?"

The child stilled and monotonously replied, "Don't call me that."

"Or what?" Kidomaru taunted, slowly inching towards her. He was preparing for a fight. He was egging her on, and he knew that. The first time they ever spoke and he gave her that nickname, the one that sent her back to days before her mother died, and she hated him for that. Her anger always got the better of her, no matter how many times Orochimaru-sama told her that anger would do nothing but get her killed.

Chizuru spared the boy next to her a glance. "I'll kill you," She threatened. Her voice was so even that it should've scared her. _What_ was she? Who? _Who?_

Kidomaru faltered only for a moment before his grin returned. "You've never killed anyone before."

The brunette turned fully to face him and stared until his grin slipped yet again. "Then you would be the first," She quietly, finally, replied. "_Don't call me that._"

* * *

A part of her longed her old life. Chizuru knew that she no longer belonged there. She wouldn't fit in. She was different. Linda was someone who could be called caring, and beautiful, and lovely. Chizuru found her spoiled. She didn't know anything, except that there was nothing she could do. There was no one but Orochimaru-sama. Her own name, her _old_ name, no longer brought her pain. Soon, she would feel nothing at all. It no longer meant home.

The world was pulsing under her fingertips, which her buried deep in the grass. She could feel the life scratching against her palms, calling out to her, begging her to _pull_ and create more. Chizuru had seen Orochimaru-sama do it, and if he said that she could then she should be able to as well. The fact that she understood the world, now that she was finally paying attention to it instead of shoving the noise to the back of her mind, would help her.

Orochimaru-sama stood above her, watching as the now-ten-year-old girl concentrated. "Do you feel it?" He questioned, always questioning. He was so interested in the way that she felt the world around her. Chizuru only recently learned that not many people could feel the world the same way she could. She wondered if it had something to do with being reborn.

"Always," Was the answer she gave him. She always felt everything. It was only recently that she acknowledged it.

"Form the snake seal and draw chakra to your hands, Chizuru-chan," He ordered, and she obeyed without question. "Force it into the ground and think of a small tree; a sapling. Don't rush. Life is always slow, Chizuru-chan, no matter how quickly it may seem to go by."

She did as he asked, but her chakra faltered once it left her hands. The man knelt in front of her and grasped her wrists, placing them back on the ground in front of her. "Again."

An hour later and she was met with a sapling, only one leaf hanging weakly from the side. It was a disappointment, after working so hard to force the chakra into something that wasn't her own body, but Orochimaru-sama looked pleased, so she allowed herself to feel proud.

He smiled, and she grinned back.

* * *

Something that Chizuru greatly appreciated about living in the base were_ showers_ and _electricity_. She had her own room, with a twin-sized bed that was larger than any she'd seen in this life. After sleeping on mats for almost nine years, having a bed was like… having a shower. A warm one. Orochimaru-sama lived so comfortably that, when she first arrived and realized that she would be allowed these things as well, she cried a little. (Of course, she did it in the privacy of _her own room_.)

Her hair was damp when she stepped out of the room and walked to the dojo. She slid the door open easily and walked inside, already knowing that the new boy was in there- training hard, just like she had when Orochimaru-sama found her. It took her a month to become as dedicated as he was on the first day.

Kimimaro was the last of a dead clan and could manipulate his bones to shape them into weapons. He wasn't skilled with it just yet, but he could still harden them to where it would be extremely difficult to kill him. Not impossible, because nothing was impossible, but _difficult_. It should've sickened her that, upon meeting the boy, she thought of all of the different ways she could kill him and how much stronger she'd need to be in order to do so. It didn't.

They stared expressionlessly for a moment before Kimimaro went back to his own training. Chizuru hated that she was jealous that Orochimaru-sama had taken an interest in him, just as he had with her. However, she knew that he was more useful than herself. She had something special, but he had more control, had more time training. Kimimaro came with his emotions already under control and was less difficult to teach, as he already knew how to read. A large part of her hated him for that.

In another corner, practicing throwing shuriken with all four arms at once, Kidomaru stood. When she began walking closer, he took notice of her slightly damp form and dull clothes and grinned. "Ready for round…" He paused, frowning. "Ready for another round?"

She took her stance. "Prepare to get your ass handed to you."

He spread his web across the room, ready to entangle her in it and go in for the kill. He'd gotten much better at using it over the years they spent there, and after he stopped calling her Zuru-chan she took to befriending him. They weren't, and would never be, as close as she and Aito had been, but it was enough to keep her from becoming lonely in such a place. Orochimaru-sama could not see her all of the time since he had things to do and a village to lead… as well as a new interesting toy to train.

Chizuru took the initiative, though she knew it would have been better to allow him to attack first. She wasn't a defensive fighter, but his entire fighting style was based off of allowing her to attack first. It would be easier for her to defend his attacks and grind him down than it would be to head straight into a trap.

When she got caught in the web after sending a nasty punch to his jaw, she knew that she'd lost.

Her anger at Kimimaro lost her the battle, but the realization didn't make her any less annoyed.

"I surrender." Chizuru lifted her hands and Kidomaru took his webs away, eyes twinkling with amusement and bouncing back and forth from her to the white-haired child on the other side of the dojo. He wouldn't think to ask him to train with them, as he was already becoming arrogant in the idea that, since Orochimaru-sama did not speak to Kidomaru personally, he was beneath him. And, because Chizuru willingly spoke with the tan shinobi, she was beneath him as well.

During spars, she daydreamed that Kidomaru wore his face and planned all of the different ways to kill him.

A surprise attack would have to do. Cut his chakra off, and then his head.

Drown him.

Suffocate him with her mokuton jutsu.

The second his usefulness was put to an end, Chizuru would execute all of these plans and was confident she would come out the victor, as long as she didn't allow him to fight back. She wouldn't. Her anger might've gotten the best of her, but she wouldn't let it cloud her mind during such a sweet kill.

Chizuru focused on her breathing. "Again," She ordered, and then forced Kidomaru to be the first to attack. She took him down quickly, jabbing his throat with her fingers before palming his nose. The wild boy went down coughing and, just as quickly as she attacked, she placed a kunai at his throat.

"Surrender," He choked out.

* * *

What was _wrong_ with her?

* * *

An azalea formed in the palm of her hand.

Chizuru placed it on her nightstand and stared at it. The beautiful flower reminded her of her mom, and Aito, and… Makoto. She wondered what would have happened if she kissed him back that day. If the brunette changed before she left with Orochimaru, she would have kissed him back and used his situation to her advantage. He and his father would make good money in Wave, and would have a better house with electricity and a water heater. She would've lived comfortably, even if she still couldn't get over their differences in age and found the raven to be a bit creepy.

Her life would be so different, though. The child would have remained nothing, would have gone nowhere and worked in a home for the rest of her life. With Makoto, it would have been comfortable and she wouldn't have had to do anything outside, but she would cook. She would clean. And, once she was old enough, she would have had his children and raised them to be just as wonderful as… Chizuru's throat tightened.

For the first time since arriving at the hideout, Chizuru cried until the next morning.

If he noticed that the bags under her eyes were more pronounced, Kidomaru didn't say anything about it. She was thankful.

* * *

Kimimaro was much faster than her mokuton jutsu, Chizuru noted as they sparred. Orochimaru-sama wanted to see his improvement, so he put him against his "best pupil" (she beamed inwardly at the white-haired boy's scowl, and would remember that moment for years to come.) Still, even though he could outrun her wood, she was smarter than him when it came to battle. She had been training under a harsher teacher for much longer, and she used whatever she could to her advantage.

The boy came at her with everything he had. His taijutsu was beautiful. She wanted to continue fighting him like that, but a long-distance defeat would be the win with the least injuries. He could shoot his bones, but he wasn't yet accurate and getting hit by them would only be a lucky-shot. Chances were that she would only be grazed.

The brunette flipped away, landing on the wall and forming the snake seal with her fingers. Wood closed in around him, but he quickly escaped only to find more in his way. She attacked him with smaller, sharper pieces- much like he used his bones- and cornered him with the larger ones. As long as she stayed away, the fight would remain in her favor since he couldn't ignore the wood to attack her. She didn't allow herself to smirk. Arrogance would be her downfall.

When a wood crept behind him and knocked him to the ground, he found an opening and slipped through it to charge at Chizuru once more.

She lost and decided she would need more if she ever wanted to defeat him. The girl scowled. "I surrender."

* * *

_She hated him_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary**: They say that if you fold one thousand origami cranes you'll be granted one wish. Chizuru wished for life. SI OC-centric AU

**AN**: _CHAPTER EDITED ON 5/31/14_

Anyone else notice how arrogant Chizuru is getting? If not, she definitely is. I'm not having her boast about her skills to anyone out loud, and I don't think she realizes herself that she's not that powerful, but yeah. Totally arrogant. And prideful.

I realize that I've made a good deal of mistakes while writing this story. I really hope it doesn't bother anyone too much, because I don't plan on editing these chapters much. I'd like to thank you for the reviews, favs, and follows! I'm glad people are actually interested in this story, and I hope that I'm able to update as often as you like! Annnnd, just a reminder, this is an AU. Not everything will be the same.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto

* * *

**"Does it give you joy to scare people?"**

**"No, it gives me joy to kill people. Killing's the sweetest thing there is."**

**- Sandor Clegane to Sansa Stark, **_**Game of Thrones**_

**03.**

On Chizuru's eleventh birthday, she received a headband with a musical note in the center and a mission. After reading almost everything that she could about the other shinobi villages (the ones that Orochimaru-sama saw as a threat), she knew that all shinobi took missions for pay, as well as wore headbands to show where their loyalties lied. Wearing the headband symbolized that she was willing to fight, kill, and die for the Otogakure. She accepted it without hesitation; proudly.

All shinobi villages started their shinobi off differently. Konoha, the village that Orochimaru-sama seemed to be most concerned with, had their soldiers take D-ranks in order to teach them practical skills that would be needed outside of the village. Finding missing animals, tracking. Buying groceries, the ability to follow orders and return the cargo safely to its destination. They also ease their soldiers into filling out mission reports alongside a jounin sensei. They were preparing them for living on their own and being more responsible. The children there were encouraged to have childhoods and hold onto their innocence until well-on in their careers.

In Kiri, after killing comrades. they started their shinobi off with hunting bandits. Those practical skills were learned on the field instead of off and they mostly taught themselves. Camaraderie wasn't valued as it was in other villages. They taught children how to kill, what it felt like to be desperate to live, and then released them to their bloody world. Ruthless. Effective. But stupid. Mist was a small village and claimed to not want weak shinobi, but killing off the supposed weaker ones, ones who could be taught and manipulated, weakened their village overall. The Seven Swordsman were dead and dying. Mist was not what it could be.

Suna's methods were similar to Konoha's, though more was expected of them. Children grew faster there, and rose through ranks by being brutal and uncaring. Orochimaru-sama once told her that their jinchuuriki (it terrified her, at first, to think of people sealing chakra monsters in others- and then she wondered if she could learn sealing) was insane and bloodthirsty, a result of the village he grew up in and the way people treated him, as well as the monster in his stomach. His fragile state of mind would make him easy to manipulate, though dangerous if one didn't know to tread lightly. The boy seemed to be obsessed with killing to "prove his existence". In a way, she understood the need to exist.

Iwa had people finish their D-ranks in the academy, with little pay. They focused more on strength and effective methods of containing their enemies with earth jutsu. On their own terrain, they dominated. The people there were not cruel, but they did have a sort of arrogance about them that only Stone shinobi seemed to have.

Otogakure, on the other hand, would send new shinobi out to kill for the first time. If Chizuru died, it would prove that she was too weak to properly serve Orochimaru-sama. If she lived, she would know the feeling of taking a life and everyone else would know whether or not she could handle it.

The mission that she received wasn't truly a mission. She knew that her master experimented on people in order to create better bodies as well as figure out, in depth, how things would work if the body changed. Kidomaru's arms were special to Orochimaru-sama in a way, because he had been born with the deformity. Orochimaru-sama's right-hand-man, a teenager by the name of Kabuto, often poked at the boy to test how they reacted and how they could recreate such a thing. These experiments were her mission. The failed ones. The cells that they were held in were getting too full, and she was to assist Kimimaro in putting them down like _dogs_.

Chizuru didn't let herself think about how wrong it all was, though she still had a conscience that was screaming at her to stop and run and never look back. The only reason she wasn't being sent out to kill bandits was, not because Orochimaru-sama wasn't confident in her skills, but because she was valuable. If she went out and wasn't able to kill, she would be killed in the process and Orochimaru-sama would no longer have a mokuton user serving him. Apparently, her skills were revered and people would kill just to have them. Being beside Kimimaro would force her to kill, and having people who would not attack die by her hands would help her growth.

The brunette nodded. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama." She left the room with Kimimaro following behind, thinking about the quickest possible way to end all of those lives. They were ordered to clean out 100, each of their cells marked. Afterwards, she would stay behind to clean the mess of dead bodies and burn them outside, a few miles away from the base. The thought of having to carry all of those dead, deformed bodies made her want to throw up.

She steeled her nerves once they entered the prison, and unlocked her first cage. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Kimimaro moving to his own. "Trash," She heard him mutter before stabbing a bone through his victim's neck. The blood that splattered on his clothes and then on the ground did not matter to him.

When her own prisoner darted towards the door, her hands flew to the snake seal and a wood grew around him before closing in. He suffocated. Bloodless. After confirming his death, she moved onto the next one before she could even think about what she'd just done. The man was innocent before his capture, she was sure. He must have had a life. The woman in the next cage did as well. Chizuru made sure that she died the same, bloodless death and withdrew her wood to allow the body to drop to the ground.

_No pulse_.

Onto the next one.

By the time they were done, her hands were shaking and she really just wanted to go to her room and hide for the rest of her life. Chizuru didn't want to pick up the bodies of those that she killed, nor did she want to clean the mess that Kimimaro made. Though messier, the death he offered his victims was kinder. She couldn't imagine how awful it must have felt to suffocate. But Orochimaru-sama needed this from her, and she would not disappoint. She refused.

Chizuru's hands did not stop shaking when she picked up two bodies and slung them over her small shoulders, and turned to Kimimaro once he did the same. Wordlessly, they were off. The brunette still hated him, but working with him wasn't all that bad. He was professional and, for the most part, silent. It was only when they spoke or sparred that she wanted to kill him.

If she could suffocate tortured men and women without too much remorse, she could kill a young boy.

Once done, Chizuru watched as the bodies were set aflame by one of the jutsu Orochimaru-sama taught Kimimaro. They stood in silence. Not out of respect for the pathetic prisoners, because even though they were human Chizuru could not bring herself to respect them, but out of necessity. They needed to stay, fight off enemy shinobi looking for information, and then make sure the burned bodies were reduced to nothing but bones and dust. Afterwards, she would bury what was left of the remains with an earth jutsu.

It wasn't that simple, though. They had to sit there through the stench of cooked meat. They had to silently watch as the bodies that they killed went up in flames. Kimimaro might not have felt as terrible as she did about not burying them immediately, but it was still _difficult_ to watch. Burying them meant that someone would care enough to eventually visit. Burying them would allow that person to return to the earth and give back. This was disrespect, but did those prisoners truly deserve their respect anyway?

Chizuru hated herself for thinking that.

Kimimaro remained stoic, silent, vigilant. Chizuru had her hands shoved deep into the pockets of the gray shorts Orochimaru-sama provided for her, trying to keep her face just as impassive. She succeeded. After burning bodies began shifting under the heat, her heart steeled.

In the past, she told herself that killing animals was alright because she needed to eat. She desensitized herself very quickly, and no longer felt remorse for all of the squirrels she accidentally hit with her car in another life. They were in the way. It was their own fault that they died, though she was the cause. By telling herself that these people would have died anyway, that it was just by her hand instead of another's, she found comfort and a sort of coldness that shouldn't be there.

_Fifty people_. She wondered that, if because her hands were clean, she remained clean as well.

_No_.

Cleaning was done quickly, as there was nothing but scraps of wood that showed bodies had ever been in her cells in the first place. A few simple water jutsus and mild scrubbing later, they had Kimimaro's cells cleaned as well.

She thought of the people that she killed again and understood why Kimimaro called them trash. It was disgusting to look at humans in such a state, deformed and weakly struggling against captors who would certainly overpower them. They fought for their lives, but it was so pathetic that Chizuru felt sick. She wasn't sure if she was disgusted with the human beings trying to breathe, or with herself. It didn't really matter. The feeling left as soon as they left the cells.

When they reported into Orochimaru-sama, the 'excellent work' they received upon finishing the mission lightened their entire week. They clung to that praise like they were starving children and Orochimaru-sama had offered them food. She left that room inwardly beaming, and by the vibes Kimimaro was giving off she knew he was as well.

_Pathetic._ They were no better than the dogs they put down.

* * *

After their first mission together, Orochimaru-sama began assigning them more and more outside of the base. They were on par with most chuunin, he informed them, so they would be able to handle their own in almost any situation as long as they stuck together. With Chizuru's sensing skills, and Kimimaro's frightening kekkei genkai, they could avoid confrontation with more powerful shinobi and pursue the ones they could take down. Information was important. The more shinobi they could take into Orochimaru, the better.

Killing would be an option for those too low-ranked to have any information, but those shinobi wouldn't be in Rice country anyway. There was nothing for them, and the high-levels that they did send out were most likely investigating Otogakure. Orochimaru-sama could not allow that. He wished to remain invisible to the world, seen as a non-threat when it all came down to it. It was smart, as no one would seek to eliminate the threat before it could get strong enough to take over a village.

Had the other villages known that Orochimaru-sama stood as the Otokage, they would've planned for war. He was that important to the shinobi world.

She and Kimimaro were special in the way that they were the last of dying clans. Only one other person had naturally acquired the mokuton, and he was apparently much more skilled than she would probably ever be. Chizuru trained, yes, but her body was lean. Her fighting style was more like flowing water, instead of sturdy like the wood. A man would have been better suited for mokuton, as most men were broad shouldered and fought with strength instead of speed. She and Kimimaro were ill suited for such things, though both trained until they were skilled enough to be feared.

Their names would not be known. It was the smarter thing to do. Neither of them were strong enough to fight off bounty hunters, and Orochimaru-sama could not watch them all of the time. He had other hideouts to take care of, more people to lead. He couldn't stay in one place for too long and the hideout he originally took her to remained her home. When gone, he would send missions to them with his summons. They completed everything perfectly.

Kimimaro was the one to initiate conversation as they set down for camp. "Why did you go to Orochimaru-sama?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the small flame. They kept it dim so that no one would disturb them while they slept, though both would easily be alerted if anyone did decide to step into their personal space.

"He came to me," She answered, eyeing him cautiously. They rarely spoke, and it was always about mission plans or training sessions until things were just _understood_ between the two of them. When they had a free moment, they would go together to train and work on their teamwork. Chizuru was better at restraining opponents while Kimimaro could go in for the kill. They were a good team, and feared amongst other shinobi. The older ones would sneer at them, but those sneers disappeared quickly. It was hard to remember that he was only twelve, and she, eleven.

"Where are you from?" He prodded some more, sounding genuinely curious.

Her brown eyes were narrowed in suspicion, but she replied nonetheless. "A small village in Fire country, close to Water. I don't know how he found me. It's not very well known, and there aren't many people living there. He came to me one night and asked if I'd like to go with him, and I said yes." They were the most words she'd spoken in a while, and she realized just how isolated she had been without Orochimaru-sama around, or Kidomaru to entertain her. Kimimaro must been the same. "And you?"

The white-haired boy's eyes darkened, and she realized that she never did hear about how he lost his clan. She just knew that the Kaguya were gone. "I lived in Kiri. Have you heard of the bloodline purges?" Yes. She nodded stupidly. "My clan was the catalyst after a failed coup. They were slaughtered, and the ones who weren't killed that night were captured and executed. Orochimaru-sama found me and offered me a purpose. I accepted."

"Oh," was all that she had to answer. There was nothing she could say to that. No understanding words, or condolences she could offer. She was cold to the deaths of his parents, of his clan, because she never knew them. They attacked and were attacked in turn, and then killed. Her emotions were so out of control- not wild, or passionate, or anything. They were hard to understand because she could no longer understand others.

When Kimimaro smiled at her, she wanted to cry. It was the first sincere smile she'd seen in so long, and seeing it on someone so normally stoic _hurt_ for reasons she couldn't understand. "I have Orochimaru-sama now," He told her, genuinely happy.

Chizuru couldn't bring herself to smile as well.

The next morning they ventured further into Tea, risking grabbing a document from one of the nobles to bring back to Orochimaru-sama. They didn't have the details of what they were grabbing, but they knew he would have at least two chuunin guards and a lot of grunts. Chizuru could hold them all off while Kimimaro killed them. It was hard to concentrate on attacking with wood and moving at the same time, so she used it to defend instead. Her chakra was growing and her mokuton jutsu was getting more powerful, but she was not yet ready. She wasn't good enough to survive without her teammate, if depending on mokuton alone.

The brunette fingered the headband tied around her upper arm and spoke quickly, quietly as they eyed the base. "Leave Shun alive, or kill him?"

Kimimaro frowned thoughtfully, glancing at the large fortress. "Alive, if possible. I'll take out the men from the front," He pointed at a small place on the map circled, where she felt the most guards, lingering. One one or two were above genin level. Kimimaro could handle it on his own. "And go on from there. _You_-" His finger slid up to point at a small opening where a window would be. The window to Shun's office. "try to slip in undetected. If he sees, kill him and grab anything important."

It was a silent reminder that she could take all the ryo she pleased. Chizuru nodded, and with that they were off.

The brunette quietly scaled the wall and slipped past guards, knowing that none of them had been disturbed by her entrance. She was clear. The man that they were stealing from was in the office that she needed, so it appeared as if she would be killing him anyway. Before she could open the window and step into the room, she formed the snake seal and pictured the man being suffocated to death. He barely had the time to scream before his mouth was covered.

Still quiet, Chizuru slipped inside to look him in the eyes. For the first time in she wasn't sure how long, she smiled. "Hello, Shun-san."

Her face was the last thing he saw. She made sure of that.

After cleaning the base out, they erased anything that would alert enemy shinobi to their presence. Every piece of wood was picked from the floor. The blood from those fallen was left behind, but they burned the bodies to be sure no one could recognize the wounds. No one was left alive.

She thought, while sitting around next to Kimimaro that night, that if her children saw her, they would be afraid.

* * *

Chizuru was only supposed to escort the prisoners to the lab, but when she found a file with her name on it she was curious. Ignoring the cries of the men she restrained, the brunette went over to the table and gingerly picked up the document. Many times she found herself wondering just why Orochimaru-sama chose her, and how he knew where she lived- as well as her name, before she even introduced herself. She remembered that night clearly and knew she never told him her name, but he knew. She wrote it off as someone great like him just knowing everything, but was that truly the case?

After flipping through words that she would never understand, she realized that it was all coded. Of course Orochimaru-sama would not leave anything important lying around without making it impossible to understand, especially not when he had curious little girls like herself. She scowled and placed everything back in the order that it was before leaving the room.

_What was in that file_? She couldn't push it to the back of her mind.

Orochimaru-sama didn't just leave things like that lying around, coded or no. If she was meant to find it and read it, then he would've made it easier to understand. If it was a test, then she surely failed. Her curiosity outweighed her loyalty to her master, but there were never any orders for her to not read things lying around. It might've just been an unspoken rule, and Chizuru felt that she would be able to play the fool if she was caught.

Still, she'd seen something she probably wasn't supposed to. Chizuru knew that he wouldn't just create a fake file out of nowhere for her.

Was it even Orochimaru-sama that left it there for her?

Chizuru slowed to a stop outside of her bedroom. Someone must have wanted her to see. She would know if she'd been tested on, because her body would feel differently. But nothing is different. It was the same as it had been her entire life, so maybe… Chizuru didn't know. She didn't know what to think about anything right then. All she knew was that she wanted to decode her file and find out why everything happened to _her_.

The brunette ran back to the room, but stopped outside when she found that there were two others in there. Kabuto and Orochimaru-sama. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she hoped that no one would notice that she'd been looking through them, or noticed that she came back. The eleven-year-old girl quickly and quietly walked back to her bedroom, trying not to look suspicious.

That was her only chance to get those files. She lost it.

With a small sigh, she slipped into her room. It was no longer as empty as it was five minutes ago, but the person in there meant no harm. After the small bond they formed as teammates, Kimimaro would visit her from time to time and ask for training when he was restless, and she would do the same.

After Kidomaru was placed on an elite team to guard Orochimaru-sama, she stopped seeing as much of him as she used to. Because of this, she found friendship in the least likely person and found that he wasn't as stoic as he first seemed. His features softened when she entered the room, but she still wasn't able to smile back. It should've made her sick that the only happiness she seemed to get was during missions, or when Orochimaru-sama praised her.

"Need something?" She asked, looking him over. He was wearing an open gray shirt with a purple rope holding it together, showing off his chest.

Kimimaro opened his pretty green eyes and stared at her. She blinked. "I'm sick," He finally said.

The girl flopped down on the bed next to him and let out a large breath. She didn't really know what to say to that. How did she used to comfort her children? The memories were getting so fuzzy, she couldn't recall ever being that close with anyone but her mother- and even then, Chizuru didn't need very much comfort as a child. She asked him, "How long?"

Kimimaro lifted a shoulder slightly. "I was told this morning that I am no longer a suitable host for Orochimaru-sama."

It made sense. Orochimaru-sama would not want to die over a sickness. Even if the Kaguya's clans techniques were rare and would offer the snake a great boon in battle, he would much rather go for something else and live. She could respect that, though she would never personally use a body that is not her own. Experiencing it once was enough, though she would admit that it would probably feel different if she went willingly into another body.

Still, Kimimaro's entire life revolved around that. That was his purpose, to serve Orochimaru-sama as best as he could, and he was not able to do so any longer. "Is there a cure?" She asked, knowing that he wouldn't have been deemed unfit if there was. Chizuru only wanted to hear it spoken.

"Yakushi-san is trying to find a cure," He informed her.

Chizuru sighed and intertwined their fingers, remembering the times that she and Aito fell asleep together. It was the best that she could offer, and Kimimaro wasn't pulling away. There was nothing more that she could say._Everyone dies_ felt like she would be telling him to just get over it and accept such a thing. How could she do that when she knew that she would not accept her own?

"You can stay here tonight," She said instead of offering meaningless apologies and 'get well soon'.

Kimimaro nodded in thanks and tightened his hold on her hand. He slept next to her, stiff as his bones. She couldn't sleep with his deep breathing.

* * *

After learning of Kimimaro's sickness, they began training him to join the Orochimaru-sama's elite guard: The Sound Four. It would be Five when Kimimaro joined. She remembered how he and Kidomaru got along, though, and knew that he would not consider any of them worthy of his time- even if he was no longer of use to Orochimaru-sama. They differed in skill level.

Kabuto was still working on a cure for Kimimaro, but it wasn't looking like he would ever find one. He was taking his time. There were more important things, like the teen's mission in Konoha and the new vessel that Orochimaru-sama found. She didn't blame Kimimaro for coming to her when he found out and she understood when he attacked more viciously than he had ever done before during their spar.

With the gray-haired teen, Chizuru learned about medical ninjutsu. Kabuto brought books for her to read from, chakra control exercises that she would need to do, and new forms of training- all things that she would need to know and master in order to become proficient in the art.

The thing about it, though, was that she did not want to learn it because she would rather heal than kill.

All she wanted was to take Kimimaro's sickness away so that he could remain her teammate. _Selfish, selfish, selfish_.

But Chizuru no longer minded that she thought only for herself. She wanted to keep him alive for her own sake.

No one else mattered.

_Nothing_ else mattered.


End file.
